Dragon Knight Reborn
by Lord Zidran
Summary: I was once a hunter, a slayer of Dragons, now I have become what I once had hated, a Dragon. I am reviled, vilified across Rivellon. But I will not stop, I will not falter, the Damned One must be stopped at all costs. I will fight him and I will prevail! I am a slayer no longer, I am a Dragon Knight Reborn! Possible romance, Rhode/Dragon Knight


Chapter 1: Newborn

I was peacefully sleeping, dreaming of things that could never be until-

"Come on now wake up!"

I felt hands shaking me violently and looked up to see my friend and part time instructor Marrius.

"Come on sleeping beauty were here and you don't want to keep Rhode waiting" he said with a smile

I looked at him with annoyance "Ugg just a few more minutes Marrius I was havening the most wonderful dream" I said with a wistful smile.

"Oh really? And these dreams wouldn't happen to have had our, as you say "oh so beautiful" commander in them would they?" he replied with the biggest smirk on his face.

My face became the shade of a tomato in an instant. "Dammit Marrius how many times do you have to keep saying that!" I angrily said

"Well I would say it if it wasn't true that little Daron had a crush, hahaha!"

That was the thing about Marrius, strict as an instructor, great friend, but a merciless tease.

Marrius was currently wearing Dragon Slayer armor that was mandatory for all Slayers to wear along with a Greatsword he took after killing the Dragon Knight Geldor, he had brown hair swept back upon his head and a brown beard to go with it.

Me? My name is Daron, age 22, I currently wore Initiate or disciple armor, quite poor quality in contrast to the armor most Dragon slayers wore but it was to be expected of the "newborns" as it were to have the hand-me-downs, my hair was the most noteworthy attribute with it looking "Golden-Blonde" as described by my mother and the beginning of a goatee on my face. **(Look at cover for Divinity 2: Ego Draconis to see a clear visual of what he looks like)**

My mother and my adopted sister are the only things that keep me here, my mother never had the best life and was always looked down upon by many for having me out of wedlock, yes I had no father, my mother was young and had a bit too much to drink at a party a long time ago, after some big event involving Lucien, the Divine Himself. When she woke up she was back home and was pregnant with me and did not know until 3 months into it. My grandparents disowned her, being that they were noble and could not bear such shame, though it was more they could not get more money or favours after an arraigned marriage of my mother to some noble man with more money than brains. Bastards. She lived on the streets taking odd jobs for many years with me at her heels but I loved her every step of the way, wouldn't you?

One day when I was around 8-9 years old we found a small child on the side of the streets of Aleroth, we tried to find a home for her but no one would take her, not even the orphanage, even though we could plainly see the empty beds within. My mother simply let out a sigh and said "come, let's go get your sister all cleaned up", and that is how Evelyn, who was just three years old became my new sister. Money was scarce, very scarce. There was only one job that could save my family, my mother was far too old and my sister to young, it paid very well but in return it demanded the best out of you or die trying, at that time I was ready to do anything for her. Mother of course was against it every step of the way going so far as to tie me to a post at the tavern she worked at and never let me out of her sight, after a few months and a few arguments that I am proud to say that at 9 years old I won more often than not, she gave way and off I was to join the most dangerous and feared warriors in Rivellon, The Dragon Slayers.

Even for the initiates they paid a modest sum, enough to keep my family from starving and that is all that I cared about, I personally have 200 coins to my name alone and have had the same coins for nearly 12 years now, all others are sent straight home.

After finishing those thoughts I came out of the zeppelin which was docked just on a small cliff on the mountain side, and saw the most beautiful, (in my opinion) sight ever, Commander Rhode of the Dragon Slayers. Rhode had blonde hair sept down the back of her neck and a tattoo of a dragon coiling around her left eye, her face had no physical marks and seemed to be perfection incarnate. A loud cough from Marrius smirking face brought me out of my dream land.

"Here we are, Farglow, The place where our disciples become true Dragon Slayers, and today the honour is yours" She said

"Thank you commander" I said hoping I didn't stutter like a hopeless schoolboy with a crush.

"Don't be so apprehensive. You'll be fine. This is a momentous step in every Slayer's life, but few have fared badly afterward" said Rhode

_That just fills me with confidence,_ I thought sarcastically.

"Your assignment is simple, seek out the men and women who reside here, and benefit from their knowledge"

"Does counting chickens count as knowledge?" I said before thinking

She raised a single eye brow slightly, "What do you think, Daron?" she replied with a small smirk on her lips, her luscious, gorgeous li- _FOCUS!_

"Err, yes ma'am" I replied hastily.

I could hear Marrius forcing back a laugh, and nearly failing at it.

"Are you coming with me Commander?" I asked

"Though I should very much like to enter the village again, I am forbidden to do so. Only once in their lives may Dragon Slayers enter it, as disciples. In any case, it would be imprudent to join you, this is a part of the journey each Slayer must walk alone" she said, as if rehearsed and spoken countless times before.

"So, when I return I will become a real slayer?"

"Not completely, no. After the initiation we will head back to Rivertown where the ritual will come to its conclusion. But let's talk about that on the zeppelin when we head back, shall we?"

"Good luck Daron, and try not to break anything this time" she said with a smile

"Hey! It was not my fault! How was a supposed to know those flower vases were fragile?"

"So they just aligned themselves in a perfect formation right when you decided to use Marrius helmet as a ball and rolled it right at them, crashing and scattering the pieces all over the hall?" she said with mirth clear on her face.

"It's a conspiracy I tell you! Those vases have it out for me!" I said with a smile

She shook her head, "Marrius get the good ale, I feel like it's going to be a long day. And you better get a move on!"

"Yes ma'am" I said with a salute.

It was not very long until I arrived at what appeared to be the entrance to Farglow with only a single man sitting on a small stool

"The disciple arrives! Let me bid you a fond welcome to Farglow"

"Thank you kind sir, my name is Daron, and yours?"

"Edmund is my name, thank you, and I commend your patience. Most Slayers loathe being referred to as a pupil. Such a belittling word disciple is, wouldn't you say, for one who has since the age of ten been groomed to become the elite of man's warriors? But don't you worry, you'll earn the title of Dragon Slayer soon enough"

"And how would I do that?"

"I presume Commander Rhode has been rather cryptic about what you are supposed to do here, and I can't reveal much more. In fact, I have but one thing to add: Morgana is waiting by the waterfall. Find her and the purpose of this day shall become crystal clear"

"Who is Morgana, is she another Dragon Slayer?"

"No, she is the Archmage. She's an intimidating woman to be sure, but pleasant enough in her own way. Her laboratory is at the back of the village, next to the Divine Memorial Flame"

"Devine Memorial Flame? What is that?" I asked

"As the name says, it's a shrine that bears a flame in honour of the Divine. The bowl in which the flame was lit is held aloft by stone Dragons. This design symbolizes the burden they carry on their shoulders, the guilt that was heaped upon them when they killed the Divine"

"Quite poetic for a shrine in such a small town, who else do I have to see in Farglow?"

"Several people, but she'll send you on your way after her part of the ritual. The others probably won't share more than a few words with you until they know you have visited Morgana"

"How could they know so soon that I have visited her in the first place?"

"You will see" he replied cryptically

I raised my eye brow at him and when he would give me no further answers I began my trek into the small town, it seemed quite simple, a few homes, chickens and pigs, people going about their everyday lives, however I was not going to complete my journey by standing around. I walked across the stone bridge and headed passed many citizens and another stone archway like the entrance to Farglow, it was past this point I could see a woman seemingly talking to herself, but of course when trained by the "elite" of the world you learn a thing or two.

I walked up to her and said "So who was the ghost you were chatting with?"

The woman looked at me slightly startled and asked "How do you know if it was a ghost? Maybe I have an addled brain"

I chuckled a little "Lady Morgana, when you have been trained by the slayers you tend to pick up a few things they don't want you to know at first, and they shouldn't write them in books either"

She smirked, "Well, well, an educated man, a very rare quality in this day and age, not to mention polite and courteous, the ladies must love you"

I began to stutter. "T-There are no L-Ladies"

She chuckled "How cute, but that is not why you are here so do pay attention, to be a Slayer is to hate the Dragon, but also, to understand it. No other order in Rivellon takes the old military adage "know your enemy" quite as seriously as the academy does. To attain this goal, I will infuse you with the memories of Dragons. It will make you understand their language, motives, powers and weaknesses. It will also colour your eyes silver, the noted characteristic of the Slayer, which will enable you to see the spirits of the dead, but I see you already have that slightly covered"

Ah yes my other feature that is "unique" apparently I was born with white eyes and grey pupils, making it appear pure white with no other colours at all, yet another reason for my family to be ridiculed back home.

"The ritual also has a… side effect. But nothing can be done about that" she said hesitantly

"If I recall the white glowing eyes allow for Dragon Slayers to see the dead"

"Quite so. You could call it a perk that comes with the power of the memories. Everyone can see the living dead, of course those poor souls that have fallen prey to necromancers. But to see the ghosts of the long dead is a precious ability and will prove useful more frequently than you think! The real drawback is this. The spell was not originally designed for the brain of a human. So to make place for it, you will lose your active knowledge of your years as a Slayer"

"…WHAT!"

"It's unpleasant, I realize that. But a Slayer needs the Dragon memories in order to operate. The only comfort is that your powers will still persist on a subconscious level, so you'll regain your skills rather quickly. Becoming a Dragon Slayer is a harsh occurrence, but you'll become one of Rivellon's greatest heroes" she explained

"The memories not only give you more insight and knowledge than a man could absorb in a century of unbroken study… they also protect you from mind attacks the Dragons perform. Without that, you'd be a puppet doing their bidding. But now you have equal mental strength, so dominance in combat can be achieved"

_Well at least it's not a total waste, and if the skills are more subconscious they would in theory return far more quickly than when a person trains the first time, just a few extra years after this to get back all I learned. _I thought.

"I can see the discomfort on your face, take comfort in the fact that Slayers like Rhode and Marius have faced the same ordeal and went on to become mighty warriors"

"I see your point, I may not like it but it must be done"

"Good, other slayers have outright quit at this point, never to come back, its good you have a stronger mind then they" she said

"Alright, I am ready"

"Then prepare to become a Dragon Slayer"

Morgana brought her hands to her head and shot a beam of light into my own head, excruciating pain coursed through my body and perhaps my very soul, it felt like hours but was only moments and when it was over she spoke.

"And that's that. You might experience some dizziness for a while, some disorientation perhaps. The journey starts again, my friend. Your path is an empty page ready to be filled with tales of wonder, of adventure" said Morgana

"But before you trot out of here in search of Dragons and distinction, make sure you meet the veterans here. Alberic, Aravir, and Gawain know more about their trade than anyone you are likely to meet. And don't forget Isobel! The gift she will share with you, aside from the Dragon memories, is the most prominent one you'll receive in Farglow!"

"Thank you for everything Lady Morgana" I respectfully said

"It was a pleasure Dragon Slayer, Divines blessings to you and your journey"

I turned around and there behind me stood my first ghost.

"Hello" the ghost said

I blankly stared back at him.

"Well at least you're not running away like you had a colony of ants in your trousers like the last fellow! HA!"

"Ah, yes, there's that famous wit of his! Slayer, meet Toral" Morgana spoke

"Why are you here Toral?" I asked

"Most ghosts you'll meet are there because of unfinished business. The strength of their will not to move on until that business is settled, is what binds them to the material world. In my case, it was my passion for alchemy. I will not find tranquility until I have fathomed all its innermost enigmas. Could take a while still" Toral explained

"Err, Toral, why is the pot bubbling? And shaking?"

Toral looked over alarmed and hurriedly spoke.

"Oh, well it was a pleasure meeting you Dragon Slayer but I really need to get back to my potion…before it blows up" he mumbled at the end.

"What was that Toral?" Morgana asked with narrowed eyes

"NOTHING!" he replied

As I arrived back to the town I saw a girl in armor on the stone bridge and seemed to be watching my every move.

_Creepy,_ I thought.

As I approached her she spoke. "I see you have met Morgana. That means we can proceed. Do me a favour and think of something, anything, but don't speak aloud"

The first thing that came to my mind was my family, of giving them everything they deserved, a home, food, and the praise of our neighbours, not the jeers we had grown accustomed to before.

"Your thoughts show that you are a man who has no sense of selfishness in your body, you protect and defend your family above all else, even bringing harm to yourself to see them safe, this is your true character and I am quite surprised, no easy feat mind you"

I was surprised. "How did you-"

"Surprised? Surely you have heard of the gift of mind-reading that Dragon Slayers possess. Maybe you have also wondered how they come by such an amazing ability. The answer is easy: I bequeath it to them"

_Of course, stupid me forgetting that. _I thought.

"Now allow me to gran you this gift"

Isobel Brought her hands forwards and another beam was shot into my head, it felt like an explosion went off in my head for a second and I could hear everyone's thoughts at that one time but they soon faded.

"Be aware, though, strong minds are difficult to read and might be able to detect if you try and it could anger them, so you will have to work on your skills if you want to perfect this art"

I bowed to her. "Thank you Lady Isobel"

"Safe travels to you Dragon Slayer"

After Isobel left I went to train, I went with Gawain as I had always favours a blade in my hand be it two handed or one. The only magic that I particularly cared to learn was healing, seeing it as a necessary skill in any situation and as for bows and ranged attacks, I only used it as a last resort or the enemy is too far away or too high. After a few rounds with the goblins in the training area I was all set to leave, I left with a wave at Edmund and bound for the zeppelin.

When I arrived Marrius, Rhode and Sepp, a champion solider who flew with us, were talking very fast. Rhode saw me as I approached.

"Finally you are here! I apologize, but I'll have to extend my congratulations later"

"Why what has happened?" I asked

"Moments ago we received word: a Dragon was spotted in Broken Valley. While this surely is exciting news, the timing is less than perfect. You were supposed to do a ritual that would channel the Dragon memories, which is extremely important for your health and that of your surroundings. If we postpone it for too long you will go Dragon wild, and the ones that survive that terrible affliction spend the rest of their lives in deep dungeons, eating their own tongues and clawing out their eyes"

_Wait, WHAT! _I thought

"Horrible though that prospect may be, the Dragon takes precedence. So I hope we'll be able to improvise along the way" she said in a calm voice

_Improvise? You hope!? I am so dead_

"Now we must make haste! The destiny of the Dragon Slayers shall come to its conclusion at last! Quickly now, all aboard!"

And with those last words I climbed aboard the zeppelin towards my future, and a destiny that would change the very course of Rivellon and history itself forever.


End file.
